Alexander Subbotin: "Peasant labor is our support"

What results did our farmers achieve at the end of the harvest campaign? Who are its main heroes? What are the plans for the future? We asked the Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee, Alexander Subbotin, to tell us about the results of the harvest.

Alexander Mikhailovich, what is your assessment of the harvest campaign?

– As in previous years, all available human and technical resources were mobilized to carry out the harvest in the shortest possible time, at the proper agro-technical level, and, most importantly, with minimal losses. Issues of providing machine operators and diesel fuel were resolved in a timely manner. The harvesting of corn, buckwheat, and potatoes is still ongoing, and fodder is being procured. The sowing of next year's crop is actively underway – 60% of winter grains have been sown.

This year, agricultural organizations began harvesting winter barley a record early – on June 28. Mass threshing of grain and leguminous crops started on June 23 (for comparison, in 2023 it was August 4). During the active phase of the harvest, about 1,000 harvesters were operating, with a load of about 280 hectares per unit. Inter-farm teams were created and operated in districts with insufficient equipment. Agricultural enterprises that completed their harvest provided assistance to those lagging behind.

In the public sector, 642.8 thousand tons of grain were threshed with an average yield of 22.2 centners per hectare. Including rapeseed, buckwheat, millet, and corn grain, over 780 thousand tons were threshed.

– Which regions and farms made the greatest contribution to the overall harvest?

– Among the regions, the leaders in threshed grain were Orshansky District (gross grain yield was almost 103 thousand tons with a yield of 38.2 centners per hectare) and Vitebsky District (80.1 thousand tons, 31.7 centners per hectare). These two regions account for 28.6% of the total gross yield of the region.

Among the farms: Vitebsk Broiler Poultry Farm OJSC – gross harvest 45.8 thousand tons, yield 36.7 c/ha (the enterprise surpassed 17 (!) districts of the region in gross harvest), Yubileiny Agro-combine OJSC of Orsha district – 39.2 thousand tons, 58.8 c/ha, Tolochin Cannery RUP – 23.6 thousand tons, 52.1
c/ha, Torguny OJSC of Dokshitsy district – 13.4 thousand tons, 24.9 c/ha, Rudakovo UP of Vitebsk district – 13.1 thousand tons, 21.6 c/ha, the Zadneprovsky Agricultural Production Center branch of Orsha KhP OJSC and Khotily-Agro OJSC of Postavy district threshed 11 thousand tons each with yields of 26.5 and 58.2 c/ha, respectively.

Among the peasant farms, Terra Gratia KFH of Senno district should be highlighted, where the harvest amounted to 10.1 thousand tons with a yield of 33.9 c/ha.

188 combine crews threshed more than 1 thousand tons of grain and rapeseed, over 2 thousand tons – 25. Vladimir Polyachinsky, Maxim Sernov from Yubileiny Agro-combine OJSC, Alexander Zyabko from the Zarya branch of Vitebskagroproduct ZAO of Chashniki district surpassed the three thousand ton mark.

– Traditionally, townspeople also contribute to the harvest.

– Their help is significant not only in harvesting but also in storing the crop. Therefore, it can be said that ensuring food security is everyone's business.

Townspeople participate in all important agricultural campaigns, whether it is spring sowing, fodder harvesting, reaping, or vegetable harvesting. More than four thousand people have been involved throughout the year from cities, district centers, vocational, secondary specialized, and higher education institutions. And now, more than two hundred people and 165 units of equipment are helping farmers harvest corn.

I want to thank all the heads of enterprises, organizations, and institutions for the help they provide to the villagers.

– In recent years, significant volumes of corn for grain have been grown in the Vitebsk region, which is used in the production of concentrated feed for livestock and poultry farming. What areas are allocated this year and what harvest can be expected?

– In the spring, 115.3 thousand hectares of corn were sown, including 6.2 thousand hectares for grain.

It should be noted that this year's grain corn is pleasing, and it will significantly help compensate for the shortfall in feed grain. 37.5% of the areas have been harvested, 51.4 thousand tons of grain have been threshed with a yield of 99.3
centners per hectare, which is one of the best indicators in the country. For comparison, last year, 61 thousand tons were obtained from 8 thousand hectares with a yield of 77 centners per hectare. In order to more fully meet the needs of animal husbandry in high-energy concentrated feed and the expected provision of forage for the upcoming stall period, corn crops have been surveyed. Taking into account the condition of the plants, a decision was made to additionally convert about 10 thousand hectares from the fodder group to the grain group.

– What are the plans in crop production for next year?

– The main task remains unchanged – to meet the region's need for quality crop production. To processing enterprises – with raw materials, to the population – with vegetables, to animal husbandry – with complete and balanced feed, and to maximally provide livestock and poultry with their own concentrates.

To this end, the structure of sown areas for agricultural crops has been developed. In recent years, when cultivating grain and cruciferous crops, the emphasis has been on winter crops as they are more productive compared to spring crops. Issues of providing material, technical, and human resources are being addressed at the regional and district levels.

Farmers are required to comply with all the requirements of the technological regulations: to sow grain on well-prepared soil on time, to apply the necessary amount of fertilizers, to protect plants from weeds and diseases, and to harvest the crop without losses.

– For what amount and where is our agricultural production exported?

– This year, food products and agricultural raw materials worth 192.5 million dollars have been exported, which is 140.6% of the 2023 level. Shipments were made to 28 countries, and new sales markets have appeared – Tajikistan, Ghana, Indonesia, Iraq, Yemen, Cabo Verde, Libya, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Syria, Serbia, the Philippines.

Russia and China continue to hold the main share in exports.

– Alexander Mikhailovich, what are your wishes for the field workers.

– "Dazhynki" is the tip of the iceberg, the culmination of the hard daily work from dawn till dusk of thousands of people. The result of their work cannot be assessed in absolute terms; it includes the responsibility, professionalism, and patriotism of each worker. All those who plowed, sowed, tended the crops, harvested, and delivered the gold of our fields to the threshing floor deserve words of gratitude, as it largely underpins our confidence in the future.

I want to thank the large team of agricultural workers for their loyalty to their peasant duty and their love for their native land; you are our support. Health, good luck, and prosperity to your families!

"Vitebskiye Vesti"